Can of Worms
by Fyuu
Summary: When she gazed into the mirror she saw only her cracks, her breaks, chips, and fractures. She saw only the faults and the failures, the terrible and rarely the good. But they saw the whole picture, the vibrant colors, and excruciating detail life had painted her with. She thought herself selfish for loving them both. They thought her incapable of loving either of them
1. Prologue: It's a Whole New Can of Worms

Dark power.

She could _feel_ it.

Could _taste_ it.

It _caressed_ her.

 _Called_ to her.

A shudder went through her body as red eyes scanned the piss hole the damnable humans called a city. What terrible things the scurrying rodents had done to this once beautiful land! _Their_ tall metal structures raised towards the heavens the lights acting as pseudo stars in the absents of real ones, _their_ smog making machines polluted the air, burning her nose and her throat with each intake of air, screaming loudly as their drivers grew impatient with one another.

Her lips tugged up in a smile though lacking in kindness couldn't hide her glee.

She would change _that!_

And just as Urasue had dreamt the pests would be bowing before their betters just as they had in times long since past. An army of souls bound in clay, obedient only to her. And where Urasue had failed _she_ would not, after all the tradition of holy men and women had died out with the threat of demons. And _she_ certainly wasn't stupid enough to attempt to conjure a holy beings soul back to this plane.

She snorted at the thought.

Her eyes slid closed and she spread her soul out seeking the she one she had felt. It didn't take long and she was more than pleased to find how close he was.

Another doll to the collection, a golem, a slave, hers to command.

Yugi blew his blonde bangs from his face as he locked the door to the Kame Game shop he tended to in the absence of his grandfather. Said elder was enjoying his much deserved reprieve exploring the ancient land of Egypt.

Egypt.

So much had begun and ended there. So many strange things and wondrous things tied to one place. His heart ached terribly at such thoughts and it was at times like this when he missed Yami the most. In his head he knew the ancient pharaoh had gotten what he'd deserved, passage to the afterlife finally free of the dark past that had plagued him. But his heart… how often did the heart think and feel logically?

The click of heels on pavement tore through his thoughts, and in the dim light he could see a female figure of average height walking towards him. Swaying hips and bountiful curves had his face warming in an instant. And the look on her face…

Yugi gulped, and licked his suddenly dried lips, and froze. Something in her eyes stopped him, it had been only a quick flash but he was sure there had been some cold violent emotion buried in her vibrant ruby gaze.

His face was still red and heated when she stopped in front of him her sultry smile widening. " I- I'm sorry but we're closed for the night." He hated the way his voice stumbled even now as an adult.

"That's quite alright; I wouldn't want any interruptions any way." Her smile was downright predatory and vicious now.

"I- interruptions? Interrupting what?"

She was walking again, past him this time, but that didn't stop him from hearing what she said. "Follow me and find out." It was hardly a breathy whisper but somehow it carried.

Her voice wasn't the only thing that carried, a strange scent wafted from her and before he realized what he was doing he turned on the balls of his feet and stepped after her, forgetting that he was too meet Téa Joey and Tristan that evening.

"Yes mama. No, "A sigh escaped her lips. "No, I promise… okay… I'll call you in the morning… I love you too mama, send my love to gramps and Sōta. I'll see you next in a few days. Good night mama." Clicking end on her phone the pale skinned woman couldn't help but make a face at the phone as she stored it in her sweat pants and resumed haphazardly stuffing a multitude of clothing she hoped would match when the time came to wear them. Her hands paused over a red and white bundle; heart twisting momentarily before she shook off the strong emotion lazing through her. Then with more force then was necessary she stuffed them into the yellow bag before flinging the pack over her shoulders and trudging her way to the balcony door to close it.

The night wind brushed past her and into the apartment sending her wavy raven black hair dancing behind her, she closed her eyes and stepped into the breeze; and froze.

The wind had brought with it more than just the chill of early autumn. She could feel their screams as they crawled across her skin. Their faces etched in the back of her mind as fear and pain twisted them in equal measures. Their terror a putrid scent that tainted the air she gasped in.

She let a shaky breath escape before closing the door stopping the petrified souls from calling out to her. She stood there trembling for but an instant before she turned to her hallway closet pushing and reorganizing a few things until her hands clasped the smooth wood of her bow and then the quiver of long since used arrows. Grabbing a sweater from the back of the couch she draped it over her arm concealing the weapon that would have pegged her as crazy.

And maybe she was crazy after all the last time she had taken on an ogre sorceress Urasue had taken from her the very thing that made Kagome, Kagome.

 _Ah but what is life if you don't open a cans of worms every once in a while?_

With that thought she left her apartment locking her door before jogging down several fights of steps and exiting the building. Back outside and fully at the mercy of the wind it was worse, louder, stronger, she hurried to her junker of a car, sending a prayer to whatever gods might be listening to let it start this time. She sent thanks when it did.

The souls were pulling at her now whispering, warning.

 _She_ had another victim.

The strong scent of herbs permeated the air around him, they were soothing, comforting and kept him still in the lapping water.

The voice of the red eyed beauty murmured around him, each high and low thrumming through him as though she were plucking guitar strings.

Then she stopped plucking and started pulling and he wanted to scream.

Domino city traffic was terrible despite the time of day.

 _Or maybe that was in spite of the time of day._ She scowled as yet another over priced hunk of metal on wheels cut her off, "Because obviously driving a car worth five time what the average person makes, makes you the freaking king of the road!" Kagome had to resist the urge to lay on her horn, knowing that, even if it had worked, it have done nothing but irritate the man in front of her. "Maybe I should invest in siren, that way anytime I'm on call for demon attacks I could flip it on and part the sea."

Not that demon attacks where a daily, or even weekly, occurrence, in fact most demons worked extra hard just to fit in.

But not this one. Kagome had been feeling the ogre off and on for several weeks, collecting and gathering souls. The fact that she _could_ feel them lead her to believe the ogre was reaching her limit for how many souls she could chain to herself which allowed the souls to collectively reach out and call for help.

Or it was a trap.

 _And with my track record a trap is definitely topping the list of possibilities._

The pain stopped so abruptly Yugi would have let out a whoop of air if he could. But he knew this space, knew there was little reason other than habit to breath, he was chained and trapped in his mind his body at the mercy of someone else.

He looked down at himself and realized that chained in this case wasn't just a metaphor, chains around his wrists and ankles shot out in different directions harsh tugs and pulls on the chains suggested someone was acting the puppet master. Another chain looped around his body, and around something, or someone, behind him, constricting him as he fought and struggled.

Behind him he felt that _someone_ take a deep heaving breath. "Yugi," A voice an octave lower than his own sounded exasperated. "Pray what sort of trouble have you gotten us into now partner?" There was a vague sense of amusement from the voice Yugi knew nearly as well as his own.


	2. Chapter One: A Communion of Souls

**Chapter 1: A Communion of Souls**

He sat with his back resting on the bed casually observing their savoir, she looked awful and he winced knowing that the harsh black and blue bruises lining her porcelain pale shoulders and neck were due in no small part because of him. Her black hair had been pulled haphazardly into a loose bun that allowed the escaping strands to dangle in her vivid blue grey eyes. Dressed in grey sweatpants that she rolled up at the knee a white tank top, and mismatched ridiculously colored socks, she looked as though she had just rolled out of bed, the look reiterated in the large dark bags puffed out beneath her doe like eyes. She was tiny, smaller even then himself or his counterpart, but there was a strength to her, strength enough that she had thrown herself into a situation to save complete strangers, and not only the strength to fight but to come out victorious. There had been anger and indignity in her voice the first time he had heard her speak, and softness, kindness when she had broken the chains that had bond him and Yugi to their shared mind.

As she worked she filled the overwhelming silence of the room by humming some unknown song as she tended to the young man he'd made an oath to protect, and had failed. Failed because something- the woman had called it a demon- had used Yugi's connection to himself to summon the ancient pharaoh from his rest and back to the land of the living.

He shouldn't even be here, hadn't he more than earned the right to the afterlife? How many more trials would he be subjugated to before he'd be allowed his rest. He had lost his dual to Yugi, proving that his young friend was more than capable of standing on his own, and his reward had been passage to the afterlife free from burdens and duty, a blissful existence after having lived for thousands and thousands of years unable to commune with many, if any, until Yugi himself had been challenged by his grandfather to solve the Millennium Puzzle.

His eyes slid from the woman to the youth, though after several years of separation was not so young anymore, who bore a striking resemblance to himself. Blonde bangs parted as the woman's hand brushed them aside tilting his counterparts face to observe a small cut on his cheek, the rest of his hair- black in color and tinted red in the artificial light- spewed over the pillow. And even though his large eyes were closed he knew Yugi's eyes to be the same amethyst as his own.

He hadn't even noticed the woman had stopped humming until she started speaking, her voice raspy from her injuries. "Other than a few scrapes and bruises he'll be fine, though I can guarantee he won't be waking up anytime soon. The ogre used a paralytic to keep him from struggling as she called your soul back to his body. It just has to run its course and he'll be up and about in no time." She finished with a smile and while it only lifted her lips slightly it seemed to brighten her pretty features significantly. She drew her hand across the cut on his cheek, drawing her powers to the surface, a pink light dance across her fingers and before he realized what he was doing the spirit drew on his own dark powers.

The sudden swelling of power took her by surprise as she stumbled back tangling in her own feet and fell to the floor. She scrambled to put some distance between herself and the menacing spirit who now stood between her and the young man she had only been trying to help. Neither the man on the bed nor the spirit tied to him were overly tall but as she locked eyes with his violet gaze he suddenly looked so much taller and larger, and she knew without a doubt this man could crush her. And probably would if he thought she was going to hurt the other man. "Please, I was only trying to help."

"I saw what you're capable of doing when you attacked the other woman, you turned her to ash with the very light you're now wielding. I'll allow for no harm to come to my friend!" His eyes followed her as she stood holding his gaze with her own she moved her hands in placating gesture.

"My powers are limited to healing when dealing with humans unless they've malicious intent." Her eyes left his to look softly down at his counterpart. A look of mutual understanding passing over her features as she recalled her own dealings with a similar demon. "The woman was an ogre sorceress, a demon, my duty as a priestess is to protect humans from demons. Please understand that I meant no ill towards your friend."

"You said he was fine, so what purpose could you possibly have for calling on your magic?"

"I said he was fine, I didn't say he wouldn't hurt."Her eyes moved to look him in the face again but now she appeared uncertain about something. "I… I know what it feels like to have someone abuse your soul; it's an excruciating pain, but not a physical one. It stems from nowhere and everywhere all at once. And even when you think it's done, it's over…" She shuddered. "It's not." She finished with a whisper that hardly carried and the two studied each other for a few more moments ending with the woman coming to some sort of decision. "If… if it would satiate your uncertainty you are more than welcome to probe my own soul for your answers."

So he did.

If he had, had a body of his own he'd have needed to meditate to be able to project his soul at another, as it was he merely stood in front of her, holding his hands an inch away from her face and letting his soul slide over hers, feeling its softness, reveling in its purity, feeling amazement at the sheer size of it. She had a strong sense of self, as though she were trying to convince herself that she was no one else, he noted as her soul identified itself as Kagome to his spectral mind. Memories, the important ones that made a person who he or she was, played out beneath the soft glow of surface emotions. He felt as if he could have stayed there for eternity basking in the warmth that was this woman, this Kagome, this was _peace_ , this was _bliss_.

Eventually though he found the truth of her words, though certainly not the ones she had hoped he'd find and he couldn't stop himself from gasping when he felt the open sores of the large festering tear. Dark emotions called to him, wanting him to share in her pain, to feel as she had felt, to hurt as she had hurt. Beneath the surface emotions, in the sea of memories, cold earthy eyes stared unfeelingly at him he wanted to plunge in, wanted to rid the taint from the woman. Just as he made the unconscious decision he felt himself being drawn from the tear, as the pure bits of her soul parted him from her.

When he came back to himself he stared disbelievingly at the woman who couldn't take the intensity of his stare and tuned away ashamed.

"I had only meant for you… I didn't mean…" She hadn't meant for him to drawn in to her like that, hadn't meant for him, for anyone, to see that terrible part of her she tried so hard to ignore, too hide. Had only wanted him to hear the truth in her words, to know she wasn't lying when she had said she wanted to help. Instead he had caught a glimpse of her impurity, that roiling rotten part of her that told she wasn't good enough, that she would _never_ be good enough.

 _Will he think the same; will that terrible part of me hinder me from helping?_

She didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to acknowledge it, but he had to ask. "Yugi's soul sustained a similar injury?" The thought made him sick, Yugi, pure, innocent Yugi, whose kindness drew people in like moths to the flame, injured in such an incurable way.

"No, mine is a break, a tear. Yugi's… Yugi's is like a bruised she, the demon, she used his soul like a fishing line to reel yours in." She paused still not looking at him, still embarrassed, still ashamed. "If you'll allow me to I'll ease his pain."

Even though he couldn't fully see her face he could see enough of her expression to know that declining her help would confirm some deep seeded fear. He wasn't sure what that fear was, but he was certain it was without merit. "If it will help then I will allow it." He fought down amusement at her surprised look as though she couldn't believe that after seeing to her very core he would still be willing to allow her near his host.

"You are certain?" She hesitated, once again staring him in the eyes so any lies could be easily read.

"Hmm." Was all he said as he titled his head toward the prone figure resting behind him. She eyed him wearily as she walked past him and to the bed. She conjured the light again as she brought her hands down to rest on Yugi's face, the light pouring into the young man, healing the physical wounds and soothing the spiritual ones.

He had to suppress a shudder as the warmth of her magic coated Yugi's soul and in turn his own, he wanted bask in the feeling it gave him, the feeling of being whole and solid. But as quickly as it started it began to ebb away and he felt a sudden coolness at its loss. Opening eyes he hadn't even noticed he had closed he stifled a chuckle at the scene Yugi made as his young partner attempted to roll into the warmth Kagome provided. She was blushing as she rushed to roll Yugi back onto the bed, unhooking his hands where they reached to gently clasp her arm. After settling him back in the bed she rocked on her feet unsteadily and let out a shaky breath.

After a moment of silence she gathered enough of herself to turn to him and talk. "I'll go and move his things into the dryer and then I'm afraid I must be heading to bed, I don't think I'll be on my feet for much longer at this rate." He could see the truth of it in her pallid face. "If by chance either of you are awake before I am you are more than welcome to use the shower, it's the room right next to this one. The phone as well is yours to use, that's downstairs in the kitchen." He nodded to let her know he would reiterate the information to Yugi. Pleased she nodded and turned on the balls of her feet heading to the door.

He called out to her as she reached the door her head cocked to the side as she turned to look at him. "Thank you… for everything." He hesitated for a moment. "And I apologize for my… rudeness."

His reward was a brilliant smile that would have stolen his breath had he the need for it. "No thanks are needed, I'm happy to help. And please do not apologize for worrying over your friend." And with that she closed the door gently behind her, he could hear her for several minutes more as she fussed with something in the hallway before another door closed and the house became silent.

With the woman gone he returned to his initial position curling one knee up and allowing his arm to rest on it while his other leg stretched out. He stared out the window, preparing for a long night.


	3. Chapter Two: Sock it to Me

**Chapter 2: Sock it to Me**

It was only six in the morning, a mere five hours since she had gone to bed, when he heard the door creek open, her head popping in to check on them. She cast him a small smile before her eyes trailed over to Yugi, seeing him still asleep she pushed her way into the room placing a set of folded clothes at the end of the bed. "Good morning." She murmured quietly. His only reply was to nod. "I'm going to go make some breakfast and then I'll have to attend to my duties, so I'll be outside if you have need of me." He nodded again, this time taking in her appearance as she was garbed in the red and white of a traditional Shinto priestess, her hair tied loosely back by a strip of white cloth.

It was another hour or so before he heard a door elsewhere in the house open and close firmly, pushing himself up he made his way to the window to observe the woman as she rushed to greet a patron, the elderly man seemed surprised to see her but it didn't stop him from pulling the young woman into a hug that she happily returned. They clasped hands as they spoke, and he wondered if the elderly man even noticed as her power lapped over him giving him more than just a blessing of words. They spoke for several more minutes before both walked out of sight. A good portion of the morning past in such a manner, Kagome greeting patrons, giving blessings, selling protections and wards and charms for luck, when she wasn't chatting with the patrons she was sweeping the grounds, often outside his field of vision.

It was nearly nine when he felt Yugi stirring into awareness. He contemplated hiding away in his soul room to allow Yugi to awaken and adjust on his own but before he could make a single move to do so he was already awake. "Oh man I feel like I've been hit with a steam roller." In an instant of worry he found himself at his young friends side.

"What is wrong partner?" Yugi must not have felt his presence because he yelped, practically jumping out of bed, had he not been so worried about Yugi he wouldn't have fought his amusement.

"Yami! You! You're here!" The surprise and wonder lighting his face was comical, and made more so when he looked down and realized he was practically naked. In his rush to cover up he only managed to tangle himself in his blankets. Yugi huffed as Yami chucked. "Glad you think this is funny!" He turned his head away in embarrassment, taking the time to observe the room he was in and coming to the conclusion it wasn't his own, or even one of his friends. "Hey, Yami?"

"Hmm?"

"Where are we… and not that I'm not happy to see you, but why are you here?"

"What of last night do you remember?"

Yugi thought hard for several seconds before shaking his head. "Not much." He closed his eyes as his mind conjured a few disjointed images. "I remember a woman… blue eyes… chains and pain… " He shook his head when nothing else came to him.

"Hmm… I was hoping for answers not more questions." Yami sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Kagome might be able to explain the situation further." He paused before answering Yugi's question. "To answer your questions we're at a shrine, as for a more specific answer I'm afraid I cannot provide you with one. As to why I'm here…" He shrugged his shoulders. "I am unsure, Kagome said that the … demon who captured you used your soul to bring mine back to this plane, which is why you feel as you do." Concern flashed through his eyes as he studied his counterpart. "Do you need me to get Kagome? Are you hurting badly?"

"No, I'm fine just sore." Yami didn't seem to buy it but nodded anyway. "So who exactly is Kagome?"

"She is the acting priestess of this shrine; she is also the one who came to our rescue last night." That seemed to ring a bell for Yugi as he perked up then paled eyes widening and guilt swimming over his features.

"Oh, oh no we- I." He looked like he was going to be ill. "I hurt her!"

"No-"

"Yes! Oh Gods I can remember!" He stared at his hands in horror as he remembered what the woman had made him do. In an instant he was out of the bed practically running for the door.

"Yugi where are you going?"

"I have to apologize!" And he was out the door.

"…In your underwear?" Yami muttered to the empty space before him. A thought occurred to him and he couldn't keep a grin from appearing on his face, this was one introduction he'd have to see.

Kagome felt cornered. Trapped. Like the poor gazelle being hunted by a pride. Their predatory eyes urged her to supply them with a better reason than _duty_ for declining their invite to go out. "Come on Kagome! It's been _forever_ since you went out with us!" Eri prodded again Yuka and Ayumi nodding their heads in agreement.

"Yeah, I mean you live all the way in Domino! And now that you're finally here you can't even take the time to go out with us?" Yuka was sharpening her claws now, and like any good lioness was waiting for the opportune moment.

Just as Eri opened her mouth to pipe up again the door to the house swung open, as did the mouths of her friends. Eri was the first to recover though and the sly smile that over took her face was disconcerting to say the least. "Oh I see. Duty to _his_ shrine." She gave the man behind her an assessing look as her eyes trailed down then back up, and Kagome had to fight the urge to turn around and cast her own look. "Well I can certainly see why you'd rather worship at the shrine today then spend the day with us. Hell I think you've made me into a believer." The other two were grinning now, fluttering their fingers at her sputtering guest.

When at last curiosity become too much she turned around. In an instant she knew her face resembled a tomato though it was surely nowhere near the red face man standing frozen in the door way in only his boxers. It didn't help that the spirit had followed Yugi out, and was chuckling loudly besides his partner. However embarrassed she was for him she couldn't help herself when she gave him her own appreciative look. Locking her eyes with his seemed to unfreeze his brain and his body and in the next instant he was gone, returned to the house.

"Well then we'll just leave you too your maidenly duties, hmm?" Eri and Yuki turned to leave, gossip mongers that they were, whispering quietly to one another.

Ayumi remained behind a moment longer her face softening into a light smile. "I'm glad you've finally moved on Kagome, I hope he makes you happy. You deserve it."

She sighed. "It's not like that Ayumi."

She giggled turning to leave. "Of course it's not." Then she too was gone.

Rather than going in immediately after the incident Kagome spent another fifteen minutes sweeping the courtyard to give Yugi and herself time to calm down. After all Kagome the healer and Kagome the woman viewed people differently… and Kagome the woman was more susceptible to bouts of stupidity that often ended in embarrassment.

Atem, or Yami as he'd been referred to as for some time, sat outside of the door to the bathroom while Yugi showered to avoid running into Kagome. He couldn't stop the lopsided grin tugging at his lips, obscenely pleased with himself for failing to stop Yugi from running outside in nothing more than his undergarments.

He was broke from his thoughts when he heard footfalls tumbling up the steps, and soon after a raven head popped up from behind the railing as she climbed. Fully emerging from downstairs he was about to call out to her when he caught her face in the reflection of the mirror at the end of the hall. Her eyes locked on the image reflected back at her and filled with some dark emotion.

The look of self loathing was there for only a moment before she turned and started towards him her face flushing when she saw him.

He recalled how ashamed she had been when he'd seen that part of her that had been tainted, was she tainted because of her hate for herself or did she hate that part of herself that was tainted? He shook himself of his thoughts when she came to sit beside him. "Glad you got a kick out of this morning's… excitement." He couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped. "You could have stopped him." She said while poking him in the shoulder, something she shouldn't have been able to do given his lack of a body.

"And miss out on a first impression like that?" He laughed again as she huffed and turned away when her face began to heat at the memory of Yugi in only his boxers.

 _Definitely not a bad view._ She couldn't stop the thought that warmed her face further. Yugi while not a muscle bound beef cake, nor a lanky little twig, obviously didn't spend his days lazing about. There was just enough muscle for there to be definition, just enough to ogle at.

"Recalling the view? Or perhaps hoping to catch another glimpse?" He teased after a moment of silence; he was rewarded when she hid her face in her hands moaning loudly.

"I-no… it's not like that!" She huffed again. "I only came up here to ask either of you would like some tea."

He tilted his head at her curiosity getting the better of him. "That's the second time you've offered me something I'd not be able to indulge in seeing as I am a spirit, why is that?"

"I'm sorry I haven't offended you have I?" She asked suddenly whirling to him fearing that she had hurt him by reminding him of the things he could no longer enjoy because he, as he said, was a spirit.

"No I am merely curious."

"I've never interacted with a spirit like this, it is a new territory for me, and I guess I'm just trying to be a gracious host." A look of horror over came her face as a though occurred to her. "I don't even know your name!"

He considered her for a moment before answering. "Atem is my true name but Yami is what I've been called for many years, you may call me whichever you like."

"Atem..." She rolled the name testing it out and scrunching her face at how strange it sounded. "Atem isn't a name of Asian descent is it?"

"It is not." He agreed but did not elaborate.

She refrained from probing by turning the subject back to where it began. "So you never answered my question."

He nodded before calling out to Yugi. _Partner Kagome would like to know if you would like some tea._

 _Oh? Well I- I don't want to be a bother!_

Yami felt his lips turn up at Yugi's words before turning back to Kagome. "Tea would be welcomed."

 _Yami that's not what I said!_

 _Nor did you say no._

"Excellent! I'll get right on making it!" She said as she jumped up and quickly disappeared down the stairs.

Yugi emerged a few minutes later, completely clothed this time, scolding down at Yami who only offered him a grin. "I see you're clothed again, ah a pity I'm sure Kagome would have enjoyed the view." His grin widened as Yugi blushed and began sputtering.

Yugi turned away to hide his own smile, it was nice to engage in banter with Yami, he hadn't realized just how much he had missed the spirit that had been his best friend. And he felt guilty at the selfish wish that the spirit would stay this time. When he turned back to face his counterpart again, there was a soft look on Yami's face, one Yugi hadn't often seen the spirit use. "I too have missed you partner." Yugi felt his own lips lift, returning the smile with one of his own.

Kagome had just started pouring the tea into two cups when Yugi followed closely by Yami found their way into the kitchen. She sent him a dazzling smile that widened just a bit when his face started turning red. "Good morning." She said as she offered him a cup of tea and a plate of reheated food she had made when she woke up.

"Good morning to you as well Kagome!" He replied brightly as he took a seat. "The food looks great."

"Thank you." They sat in compatible silence for several minute, Yugi munching happily on his food before Kagome couldn't contain her question anymore. "So why is it that you came barreling out of the house so quickly?"

The blush he had fought so hard to beat down returned full force at the reminder of his thoughtless action, but dimmed when he remembered the reason for it. "I came out to apologize." He muttered subdued.

She tilted her head in confusion. "Apologize for what?"

"I hurt you."

It took her a moment before her hands went to her throat, which was when Yami noticed the lack of bruises. "There's nothing for you to apologize for."

"You healed it." Yami blinked in surprise though perhaps he shouldn't have been; after all he had seen what she could do.

"Couldn't have patrons questioning things I can't answer, or worse calling the police."

"Just because it's not there doesn't mean that I didn't hurt you."

"That would be we Yugi, if you feel you must be blamed then I to must share in it. I was just as much a part of your body as you were."

"Which is not at all." Kagome interjected giving both males a stern look. "You were chained to your mind, apart from your body, Yugi to keep the flesh alive and Yami for his power. You can't take blame for something she forced your body to do when you weren't even truly connected to it in the first place."

"I should have fought harder!" Yugi interjected.

"That you had independent thought shows just how hard you did fight."

"It wasn't enough. I hurt you." Yugi looked down at his hands recalling how the chains had tightened around his wrists as he fought control, fought against what the voice had commanded him to do, it hadn't been enough as his body brought the blue eyed woman to the ground his hand closing around her throat. She hadn't fought instead she brought her hands to his face tilting his head until her eyes locked with his, the warmth that flooded him was unlike anything he had felt before, though not unwelcome. When his hand went slack he gasped eyes trailing to the corroded chain that swung uselessly a moment later there was a loud snap and a sudden burst of light that flooded his vision and he was freed.

"If someone stole your sock and proceeded to kick me in the shin would you also take the blame for that?" She couldn't keep the grin off her face as both males stared at her strangely.

"You're comparing me to a … sock?" Yugi questioned slowly as though he wasn't quite sure he had heard correctly.

"A sock, a shoe, a glove, doesn't matter, what matter is if someone stole it and wore it while hurting another, would you or would you not take the blame for it?"

"Umm... no?"

"Whys that?"

"… Because while the sock was mine, it wasn't me who hurt them." His answer was tentative, as if he was unsure of himself.

She sat back sipping her tea obviously pleased with herself. "Bingo. Your body belongs to you, but it was stolen and used to hurt another. And so by your own logic you cannot take the blame for my injury, because it wasn't you who hurt me." Their baffled looks were the perfect counterpoint for her wide self satisfied grin. "Sounds like the king of games has lost one, eh?" She paused as a thought popped into head that had her grinning once more. "Speaking of which I find I must apologize to you." She directed her attention to Yugi.

"For what?"

"My friend Eri is more than just a gossip, she's a well paid gossip. And I'm pretty certain your… uh _display_ this morning might have ruined your bachelor reputation."

Yugi felt he probably should have been more upset at the news, but found he couldn't be, he did however wonder how it would affect Kagome. "I'm not really too worried about that, but what about you won't your boyfriend be upset if he reads something like that?"

Kagome couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out at Yugi's question. "I've no need to worry about jealous lovers, trust me on that one." Both Yugi and Yami got the feeling that she hadn't found the question funny but rather the thought of someone loving her so intimately. Which Yugi found odd, Kagome seemed to be the kind of person people were just drawn too.

And then Yami remembered the brown eyes at the center of the taint that clung to her purity like a cancerous sore. And the depths of her unbridled self loathing. _What had she seen in the mirror?_

 _Yami? What was that!?_

 _You saw that?_

 _What do mean? Of course I saw that!_

 _Yugi I wasn't projecting that thought, you shouldn't have seen or heard anything._ Yugi whirled his head toward Yami at that. _Perhaps this is something to be discussed later._ Yugi gave a hesitant but consenting nod.

Kagome was oblivious to their display as she turned her head to the window that over looked the courtyard, the numerous protections and barriers she had surrounded the shrine with so many years ago alerted her to more people approaching the sanctum of the shrine. "I'll be right back." She paused as she stood, then turned to grab the phone off the wall handing it to Yugi. "Here I'm sure by now someone must be missing you." She let out a small laugh when she heard Yugi's muffled panicked scramble from inside the house as she walked her way over to the couple finishing their hike up the stairs.

Yugi was quick to punch in Tea's number listening to it ring several times before the voicemail picked up. He tried again.

Yami thought back to Kagome's comment about Yugi's bachelor status, and had to think for several minutes before the meaning made itself known. "Yugi?"

"Yeah?"

Yami shifted uncomfortably for several moments trying to form words out of his racing thoughts. "What happened between you and Tea… I had thought…" He trailed off unsure how to broach the subject.

Yugi it seemed had no trouble breeching the subject. "She loved you Yami," He shrugged and pulled a face when no one answered again. "She and I were just friends; frankly I'm just happy that she's happy. Besides she told me she needed someone who didn't get mixed up in soul stealers, mind controllers and others of that ilk."He caught Yami's guilty look before he could hide it and laughed. "I'm not sad about it Yami, she's still one of my best friends. And I wouldn't want to ruin something so precious by clinging to what I felt for her. Besides she's found a nice man, they're engaged actually. Hojo is his name if I'm recalling correctly."

"So then you are without a lover?" Yami couldn't help but prod.

Yugi flushed and stuttered attempting to find the right words. "Uh-I-Um… Tea!" Through their connection Yami could feel Yugi's relief.

"Look Ms Higurashi now is- Yugi? Yugi! Oh thank goodness! Are you alright? What happened? Why are you calling from the Higurashi Shrine?" Her words tumbled out in a rush of relief that had Yugi grinning.

"Relax Tea I'm fine. I'm not one hundred percent sure what happened last night, I can only recall bits and pieces." He flinched at the bits he could recall. "Kagome found me and helped me which is why I'm he- wait how did you know where I was?"

"Kagome, huh?… Hojo is a friend of Kagome's... though I'm surprised she's not usually at the shrine. We've met a few times- anyway not the point! Do you need help, were you hurt?"

"No, no I'm fine really… there are a few things we're all going to have to discuss but that can wait until we're face to face."

"Do you need me to come and get you?"

"Would you? I'm sure Kagome wouldn't mind but I don't want to impose on her hospitality any longer than necessary."

Tea laughed. "Of course Yugi it's no problem I'll just round up the guys and we'll be there in the next two hours or so."

"Sounds good I'll see you then."

"Right…. Yugi?… I'm glad you're okay you had us all so worried when you didn't show up last night." There was heaviness in her voice now that the relief that had replaced her panic was receding to exhaustion.

Yugi smiled softly at the phone and ignored the guilt balling up in his stomach. "I'm sorry I worried you guys."

"I know… we'll be there as soon as we can…"

"Okay Tea… goodbye."

"Bye Yugi." The dial tone hummed in his ear for a moment before he hung the corded phone back on the wall. Guilt was no longer a ball in the pit of his stomach but a raging beast clawing its way out.

"Yugi what troubles you?" Yami could feel Yugi's guilt, and as concerned as he was with his friend, he was a slight bit more concerned with the fact that he could feel so many of Yugi's emotions, never before had they shared so many thoughts and feelings, as if the doors too there separate soul rooms were wide open. It was a disconcerting feeling to say the least.

"Once again I'm dragging my friends into a potentially dangerous situation… what if there is more than one demon? How can I possibly protect them from something I know nothing about!?"Yami was about to respond to Yugi when there was a sudden shout from outside, both males jumped instantly and ran for the door.

* * *

AN: So for anyone who has ever been to my profile and skimmed through my bio you'll know that this story is one that I have been working on for a while and had promised not to post until it was complete, unfortunately I lost inspiration for it and in an attempt to reawaken my love for this story, albeit relatively short story I posted it hoping to reignite my inspiration. Let hope this works shall we?


	4. Chapter Three: Like an Onion

**Chapter 3: Like an Onion**

"How dare you! How dare _you_ accuse me of being unfaithful!" The indignant red faced woman screeched in Kagome's pensive face.

"Do not twist my words, I merely said I refused to bless your vows warped with lies!" There was such anger in her voice as she stared at the taller woman who looked beyond irate, standing behind and slightly off to the side of the woman was a man who watched the scene with uncertainty, though his eyes narrowed and his lips thinned as the argument escalated.

"What else could you have possibly been accusing me of?" The woman threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Lies come in many forms, but perhaps you are feeling guilt over one lie in particular?"

"Fuck you!"

"Enough Yuri!" The male spoke suddenly in a deep rumbling voice aimed at the foul mouthed woman, before turning his hesitant gaze back to Kagome. "I apologize lady priestess for whatever grievance we have caused you." His bow was deep and respectful and Kagome was quick to return it.

"What? Why are you-." He silenced her with a slanted look.

"The fault lies with me, perhaps I should have said nothing at all…" Kagome sounded hesitant and unsure as she shifted from foot to foot.

"You are not the only one who has said such things…" There was a bitter sweet smile on his face as his gaze landed on Yuri.

"You can't seriously believe what any of _them_ say!" She sounded incredulous as she whirled to stare him in the face. When she didn't see the answer she had hoped for she spun on her heel, storming away in a flurry of anger.

He waited until she was stomping down the steps before returning his gaze toward Kagome. "If it would be alright I would still like to pay my respects to the Gods."

"Of course." She responded quietly, watching him as he bowed twice more, once to her and once to Yugi who she could feel at her back, before walking away to another part of the shrine. They stood in silence for sometime before Yami finally spoke up.

"Why did you deny them your blessings?"

She turned to lock her gaze with him before moving on to Yugi. "Have you ever heard of the red string of fate?"Yugi nodded but when Yami began to look puzzled she turned to him and smiled. "To put it simply, everyone has a soul mate, and everyone is connected to their soul mate by a red thread tied to their little finger." She explained, waggling her pinky in emphasis. "And neither time, place, or circumstances can break this thread, it will stretch, and tangle but no force on earth can break such a bond, as it is set by the Gods. Or so the legend goes." Her brows furrowed as a thought occurred to her, with interest she studied the two of them, and Yami could tell it was more than a visual probe as her powers washed over them. "I didn't really notice it last night but even with only quick prod of my powers I can tell that your own bond is… odd."

"Odd, what do you mean by odd?" Yugi asked his voice full of worry and surprise.

"Exactly as it sounds I've never felt a connection such as yours and it could certainly explain how the demon was able to call Yami's soul back to this plane."

"Then please continue." Yami prompted.

She paused to gather her thoughts. "This could be a long explanation, perhaps we should continue it inside?" When they nodded she lead the way back into the house. "I'll clean up in here and meet you in the living room. Oh by the way Yugi did you happen to get a hold of anyone?"

"Yes thank you. Tea will be here in about two hours." She nodded and began cleaning while they went to the next room over.

When she joined them several moments later she had a box of markers and several sheets of paper which she placed on the coffee table before taking a seat in a kneeling position on the floor. "The red string of fate isn't literally a string wrapped around your finger but a metaphor for a bond of love two people share whole heartily, it is strong and as the legend goes unbreakable, few people find someone like that. It gets its name from the red glow it exudes- its aura. Being a priestess allows me to see and interact with peoples bonds, which in turn allows me to bless them, protect them from outside forces. But bonds exist in more ways than just love, there's friendship, hate, rivalry, any strong feeling you feel for someone creates a bond." She studied them for a moment her lips thinning. "As I said yours feels strange to me but to understand why it's off you'll need to understand how most people form bonds."

She gave pause for just a moment before coming to a decision. "Perhaps I should start with the soul itself. You need to understand that a soul is composed of layers, many layers. Think of it like an onion. It is the two outer most layers that form the bonds you make with people, below them are the important memories that have made you into who you are, and below them are seven more layers, and they are represented physically on your body, you would know them as _chakra_ points _,_ " She pointed to the crown of her head. "Spirituality, transcendence, and being connected to a higher plane of consciousness." Between her eyes. "Intuition and wisdom." Throat. "Self expression and communication." Then to the right of her heart. "The drive of your love and compassion, and healing." She stood up and pointed to her navel. "Seat of your will power." She blushed when she pointed to her feminine parts and then to her back side. "Sensual drive and material drive." She avoided eye contact as she plopped gracelessly back to the floor, waiting for hers and Yugi's blushes to die down. "Though they're not necessarily in that order, their individual importance to you dictates that order. All of these layers act as barriers around your core, all that is you." She paused. "There's a bit more to it than that, but that's the general gist of it."

"And where in all of this does a person's soul room come into play?" Yugi couldn't help but query.

It was Yami who answered as he turned his attention to Yugi. "A soul room is a visual manifestation of a person's core and is located in the mind, in which memories and quirks in a person's personality are represented with objects and other visuals usually tied to their time and experiences. It reveals all that they are and all that they have the potential to be." Yugi nodded, having already known this. "By interfering or altering objects within the room one can, if they are powerful enough, alter another's personality and memories, or utterly obliterate them."

"Destructive and cruel things aren't they only adjustments someone can make to another's soul room, knowledge and wisdom can be imparted, and power can be passed on to a successor. But a great deal of know how is needed if you intend to affect the core of another's soul." Kagome interjected her lips slanting down in a frown.

Yami tilted his head in agreement before continuing. "All in all a soul room is simply a projection of the core of a person's soul it is a way to view another's inner self without having to break through the many layers of their actual soul and possibly irreversibly damaging them if not killing them out right, if such is not your intent."

Kagome nodded in agreement to his assessment as she removed the green and orange markers and drew two circles returning to their original topic. "Let's say each circle represents a different person's soul, when you make connections with another person, friendly or otherwise, a bit of your soul and a bit of their soul reach out to each other, meeting in the middle." She drew a green line from the green circle stopping mid way between the two, switched colors and connected the orange line to both the green line and the orange circle. She looked up at Yami. "When you glimpsed at my soul you felt surface emotions, the emotions that are constantly changing, they're malleable, and a projection of how you are feeling at that moment, it is these emotions, these bit of soul that first form a bond, and they're easily broken and highly susceptible to changing."

"That is why you invited me to peer at your soul, the surface emotions would have told me if you were speaking true or not." Yami muttered mostly for Yugi's benefit.

She nodded once more in agreement to Yami before she gave a look that encompassed both of them. "Between the outer layer of the soul, the emotions and the memories that play out beneath them there is another layer of emotions, these ones are stronger and mostly unchanging, they're the emotion connected to your most intimate and important memories, those that have molded you into the person that you are, they are also the emotions that express who you are the best. Being slightly closer to your inner self they are more powerful and few people in your life are privy to a bond formed by such emotions. It is these emotions that solidify a connection between people. When I went to bless the couple's vows, which entails adding a layer of protection over top of the bond to protect it from outside harm, I felt a great deal of negative emotions flooding from the woman's half of the connection, I followed her bit of the bond to her soul and I did find love but for another, and I'll not bless vows built on lies." There was silence for several moments while they took in the information, then Yugi's lips turned down in a frown.

"Is that connection how the demon managed to get to Yami?" Yugi queried pointing to the connected lines.

Kagome studied the two of them for several moments before shaking her head in the negative. "No the connected lines split when one of the souls passes on, think of it like a slip knot, when you pull on one end of the rope the knot comes undone."

"Why is that?" Yami prodded.

"It prevents people from holding on to one another, from keeping them anchored to the living plane." She paused tapping her finger on her chin as she thought. "However that's not to say that it doesn't happen, sometimes a person's longing for another keeps the dead here or the deceased's desire for life or revenge or some such thing can also have the power to keep them tethered to this plane."

Yugi shifted nervously in his seat. "Do you think my wish for Yami to remain let her get to him?"

"Again no." She shook her head. "It is ultimately a selfish desire to keep someone from moving on, to keep them from their rest." She smiled brightly at Yugi. "And I certainly can't sense a selfish bone in you. While you may have longed for Yami to remain with you, I cannot imagine that it is within your nature to hold another back from their happiness even if it costs you your own." Her eyes sparkled merrily with laughter at Yugi's embarrassment, a blazing blush coloring his face.

"What makes you so sure?" Yami couldn't help but question.

"His aura of course, Yugi hides nothing, it is not in him to do so, and such is reflected in his aura."

Yami returned to the matter at hand. "If not by these means then how?" Yami looked thoughtful though he cast a soft glance at Yugi.

"The two of you have utterly bypassed meeting in the middle and attached a piece of your core selves to each other."

"Why"

"How?" Yugi asked at the same time Yami voice his question.

She shifted on her knees as she studied them; she had hoped that her explanation would have given _them_ the necessary information to fill in the blanks. "I'm not certain I can answer that, unless you're willing to explain a few things to me." She hurried to continue when Yami's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Let me be clear I'm not asking for an exchange of information there are simply things that I need to understand in order to grasp the situation fully. I mean it's obvious the two of you have coexisted once before, was it in the same body? Or did the two of you live separately?" A thought she found she didn't like occurred to her. "Are you Yami's reincarnation?" They both noticed a queer pitch in her voice when she asked her final question, the way she shifted as if she were uncomfortable with the thought.

 _I suppose it comes down to whether or not we feel we can trust her._ Yami aimed the thought at Yugi.

 _She's had plenty of opportunity to cause harm I don't think she'd go through all this just to hurt us in the end._

 _…_ _Perhaps. But ones motives are not always known until it is far too late._

Kagome could tell by the tense way Yami sat and Yugi's vague change in facial expressions that the two were discussing what they should and should not share with her. It was several minutes before Yami- it was obvious by the way he sighed in exasperation - relented to Yugi who grinned triumphantly and spun a story nearly a fanciful as her own. It took nearly an hour between the two of them to explain the first arc of their journey together through Duelist Kingdom, before she stopped them as a thought struck her.

"So let's see if I understand correctly, this millennium puzzle housed your soul for three thousand years?" She directed her question to Yami who nodded. _In a way it sounds a bit like the Shikon with the whole stationary object housing a soul thing though it is far older and certainly a power of a different sort._ "But when the stakes of a duel became too high the two of you would merge souls to become one entity?"

"At first yes, eventually though once Yugi became aware of my presence we began thinking as separate beings despite the over lying of our souls."

Kagome couldn't help but laugh. "Wouldn't that be like cheating? Two against one isn't exactly fair." She teased.

"What!? No it wasn't like that!"Yugi, flustered, rushed to defend.

"We had a single deck." Yami countered.

"But two minds." She grinned tapping her forehead before returning to the problem at hand. "But I digress. I think I can piece together what happen based on what you've told me." She removed three more markers- purple, red, and blue- and a clean sheet of paper. On one half of the paper in blue she wrote Yugi, and drew a blue circle beneath it, and then repeated the process with the red marker on the other half writing Yami. "At fist neither of you knew of each other, you both remained as separate beings." She then took the purple marker and drew a circle slightly below and between the other two. "Then you dueled Mr. Kaiba as one, for your grandfather." She noted that Yugi's brow rose at her honorific use of Kaiba's name. "And when you separated you each left a piece of yourselves in the other. But rather than the pieces you left in each other utterly breaking off to merge with the others soul it stretched, rather like the red string of fate. Whether this happened after the first time you dueled together or over the course of many duels is unimportant. " Again she drew a blue circle under Yugi's name and a red one under Yami's, however this time she took the red marker and drew a line from Yami's to Yugi's blue circle filling in a small bit of the blue circle with red and did the same with the blue to Yami's red circle, with neither line touching the other. "See? Neither of you have met in the middle but the connection is certainly there. And at some point Yami went on to the afterlife but because the bond isn't formed by the joining of two souls, but rather two independent linking's, it stretched rather than breaking, again just as the red string of fate would have." She tapped her finger on the lines. "It is these connections that the ogre used to bring Yami back."

She studied her paper when a panicked thought slammed into her head, snapping her head up she looked at Yugi's neck, and dismaying when she saw the lack of a gold pyramid, she sucked a breath in through her teeth letting it out in a shaky wheeze. "Your soul rooms!" Both stared blankly at her. "You need to both go to your soul rooms now and tell me what you see!" They turned to look confused at each other before Yugi shrugged as if to say 'why not?'.

It was with practiced ease that Yugi did as he was told closing his eyes to concentrate he soon found himself in his soul room, Yami appearing besides him a moment later.

And looking just as surprised as him.

There were no walls, no doors, nothing to keep their minds separate, to keep them as their own persons. And Yami's labyrinth was already fusing with his own modern room; his stone floors quickly over taking Yugi's own plush carpet though the floor kept its color, hieroglyphics had been chiseled into parts of the plaster wall, his toys and games spreading out to encompass parts of Yami's domain, the lighting changing from swaying torches to iridescent light bulbs that blinked as if to imitate a flicking flame.

"If this keeps up… both of us will cease to exist!" He didn't think he'd ever heard such fear underlying Yami's voice, and what was worse he could feel the fear echo in himself.

"Well I suppose this explains why we haven't been able to hide as much from each other." Yugi attempted to lighten the mood, and failed horribly when he couldn't keep his own voice from trembling.

"Come we must get out of here, and find a way to fix this, or at the very least prevent this from escalating." When Yugi opened his eyes again it was too Kagome peering worriedly between the two of them, leaning as far over the coffee table as possible.

"Well?"

"There is nothing separating us. The walls the doors they're all gone, Yami's adornments are already spreading in to my soul room and vice versa." There was panic and fear in Yugi's voice, and though silent Yami didn't exactly appear calm.

"That's not good… it's just as I feared." She leaned back giving both of them a view of the paper where she had drawn a yellow triangle around the original circle representing Yami's soul. "It took me a few minutes after your story for me to realize that you're missing the Millennium Puzzle… which is where Yami was housed when not acting the part of Yugi or with Yugi. It acted as a barrier, like a wall between you, and kept the two of you as yourselves until Yami was released to the afterlife, without it eventually you really will be as one person." She rubbed her temples. Losing yourself was a fear Kagome could certainly understand. "Where is the puzzle?"

"Gone." Was Yugi's mournful reply.

"That is problematic." She pursed her lips.

"You've got your own magic right? Can you separate us?" Yugi hesitated a moment. "Can you send Yami back to the afterlife?" He wanted Yami to be happy he truly did… he just wished he could be happy here, with him and their friends.

Yami had caught Yugi's thought and the guilt that had followed it but made no indication that he had noticed. Could he be happy here, did it matter? _I may truly have no choice._ He thought privately.

"I wouldn't really call it magic." She said absent mindedly while she drummed her finger on the table as she thought about his question. "Breaking a bond between people isn't easy or safe, your problem in particular would be difficult after all I would be breaking bits of your souls... it's also not something I know how to do." _At least not intentionally or on another person… I bet_ she _could do it._ The bitter though was quick to enter her mind and slow to leave her heart. Clearing her throat and attempting to do the same to her mind she continued. "There are a few scrolls in some of the storage sheds that may give me some insight on how to accomplish this, but then again maybe not seeing how odd your bond is – its more than just emotions its pieces of yourselves, your very cores. And then even if I could manage to break the bond, then what? Unless we find an object to house your soul things will go back to the way they are. And I'm not sure if you've noticed but I'm not an Egyptian priest, I can't read you a prayer and send you on your way." She finished by throwing her hands up in the air.

"Why would you need to be an Egyptian priest?" Yami's brow shot up into his blonde bangs.

"I need to believe the word I speak or they are just pretty words, I need to believe in your Gods or I'll send you to the hands of mine."

"We know a few Egyptians, maybe Marik or Ishizu could help? Or know someone who could help." Yami nodded in agreement with Yugi. "Maybe they'll know a way separate us as well." Yugi murmured mostly to himself.

"Both are excellent ideas." Yami shot Yugi an approving look.

"Right that potentially solves future problems; however the current and more pressing issue is stopping the merge." She released a breath through her nose and focused her thoughts on the millennium puzzle. _The puzzle acted as a barrier for all those years keeping their minds separate…a barrier… wait that's it!_ "I think I may have a solution." Their heads snapped up in unison at her declaration. "I can create a barrier in your soul rooms, not as solid as the one the Millennium Puzzle provided, so most of your thoughts would be shared, but it'll stop your souls from merging." She felt fairly satisfied with her idea though the satisfaction was quickly being squelched by Yugi's deepening frown.

"Your power can't be limitless. Eventually it will put a strain on you." Yami began nodding in agreement.

"Indeed, and what happens if one of those demons decides to exact revenge on you for killing the other one? With your powers supporting us you could be injured or worse."

Kagome wrinkled her nose and huffed. "Believe me when I say most demons spend more time just trying to fit in, they don't want the attention. Especially the attention they'd receive if they attacked me." She softened her voice as she continued. "Besides what choice do either of you have?" They were going to argue the point she could tell by the way they set their faces in determination, however before either could speak a yell rang out through the court yard.

* * *

I've had this chapter written out for a long time... I'm still not sure how I feel about it.


	5. Chapter Four: Introductions

**Chapter 4: Introductions**

"Alright ya creepy recluse come out here-!" The yell was cut off and they could here muffled voices arguing.

Kagome groaned as she stood to make her way to the door her knees cracking in protest at the sudden movement, quickly following suit Yami and Yugi stood and follow her out. Opening the door they caught the tail end of a tall brutish looking brunet yelling angrily at a slightly shorter blonde male. "- This is a shrine you dolt! Be respectful!"

"Respectful!? This loopy recluse took Yug! And you want me to calm down?" The blonde man yelled right back.

"I've been called a lot of things, but a creepy recluse? That's a new one." Kagome murmured just loud enough for Yami and Yugi to hear her.

"Do not worry; you've already been downgraded to loopy." Yami chuckled lightly beside her.

"Is it really a downgrade? I mean I think loopy is a bit kinder then creepy." Yugi piped up, a small smile lifting his lips.

"Would both of you just shut up!" A petit brown haired woman grumbled angrily as she huffed her way up the last trek of the stairs.

"I'm sure Kagome had a good reason for bring Mr. Moto here." The final person was a soft spoken male Kagome recognized instantly as her persistent suitor from her time traveling days.

The blond turned to look at Hojo. "You don't know Yugi like we do, he get pulled into freaky shit like this all the time."

Kagome turned to look at Yugi, her eyes lit up with laughter. "Sounds like you're just as much a trouble magnet as I am." Her laugh seemed to have finally caught the attention of the group conjugating in the courtyard.

Yugi pouted and muttered under his breath. "Blame Yami."

Yami didn't get the chance to reply as the first three raced for Yugi, shouting his name with varying degrees of relief. Kagome moved out of the way before she could be trampled, a smile lighting her lips as she strode toward Hojo. "Good afternoon Hojo."

"Hello Kagome." He smiled gently as he walked to meet her half way. "You are looking well today." He said as he looked her over the same way a doctor would a patient.

"And feeling just as good."

He chuckled at her response. "Yes you seem to be looking healthier since the last time I saw you."

She laughed. "Of course it's been over two years since last you saw me." She scratched the side of her cheek thinking. "I believe it was for your going away party, right? You and Tea were moving to New York so the girls threw you a party, am I right?"

"Ah yes you are correct." He blinked in surprise of how long it really had been. "I hadn't realized it had been so long."

"How has New York been treating you?"

He gave her a tired smile. "Being a full time medical student on top of a part time job? I hardly have time to breath." He seemed to brighten suddenly as he cast his gaze toward Tea who seemed to be having a little powwow with the others. "But it's worth it because chasing her dream makes her happy." Realizing what he'd said he turned back to Kagome with a sheepish smile on his face.

She smiled brilliantly. "That's wonderful Hojo, I'm happy for you."

He cleared his throat clearly uncomfortable with having shown her such a soft side. "Eri and Yuka called me earlier today to tell me you had uh… a gentleman over." He couldn't keep the humor from his face at her meddling friends.

She huffed in response. "Did they now?"

"I must confess I'd almost hoped it was true, you haven't been yourself since… since that two timing," He struggled to find an adequate way to describe the man who had caused her so much pain, without cursing. "…jerk." He finished lamely. "You deserve better, you deserve to be happy."

She turned away from him silently disagreeing. _All those live ended, families destroyed, villages leveled, men and women twisted because it is only natural to desire, to want and the jewel feeds off such wants… all because I am incompetent. I hardly deserve what I have, let alone what I want._ "Yes well they were wrong, I only offered Yugi a place to stay overnight." _And lets add the biggest liar on the face of the earth to that list._

"Hey Kagome." The two of them turned to look at Tea. "Yugi told us the gist of what happened last night." Kagome nodded. "I just wanted to thank you for helping him, we were all so worried about him."

"Of course it was my pleasure." She wondered if Yugi had told them her part in the whole mess. "I'm just sorry it hadn't dawned on me that he was _the_ Yugi Moto," She shot Yugi and Yami a weary grin when she saw them approaching followed by the two other males. "Maybe then I'd have done as your friends had feared I would."

The blonde scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yea sorry about dat." The blonde spoke with a voice heavily influenced by time spent on the streets. He held out his hand. "The names Joey Wheeler. I'm a famous duelist too, maybe ya heard about me?" She shook his hand, her head shaking.

"I apologize I can't say that I have, if it wasn't for my brother, and perhaps my job with Kaiba corp. I probably would even know what duel monsters are."

"Whoa really!? What are you livin' in the eighties or somethin'?

"More like the feudal era." She laughed.

"Yeah these flimsy pieces of cardboard have practically been our lives for the past several years." The un-introduced brunette piped up. "I'm Tristan Taylor. I'm _not_ a famous duelist by the way"

She extended her hand in greeting. "Kagome Higurashi, also not a famous duelist, it is a pleasure to meet the two of you." She paused. "Ah how rude of me to not invite you all in."

"Oh don't worry about it. We actually have to leave." Tea shifted on her feet glancing at Hojo from the corner of her eye.

 _Guess she hasn't told Hojo much if anything._

"I understand." She turned to Yugi. "But first could I perhaps talk to you in private real quick?"

Yugi blinked. "Yes of course."

"I'll only borrow him for a minute I promise." She smiled as she led the two of them to the god tree. "Here." She handed him a folded piece of paper. "My house number, my cell phone, and the number to the shrine, should you need to get in contact with me. Best bet is my cell phone, since it's always with me" He took the paper, putting it in his pocket. "I'll start looking through the store houses tonight after I close down the shrine, see if I can find anything."

"Do you want us to come back later to help you look?" Yugi offered.

"That's not necessary." She smiled at his offer.

"You are doing us a favor the least we could do is help you look." Yami interjected.

She shook her head. "You two need to get in contact with this Marik and Ishizu, see what they might know. And you might not be feeling it now but trust me you'll be fairly achy by the end of the day."

"Fine, we'll call you tonight so you have my cell phone number." Yugi replied after a minute of silence.

"However you will call us should you need our help." There was a stern look in Yami's eyes as he stared her down till she nodded.

"And one more thing." Before they could respond her hand was on Yugi's forehead, her power sliding through his mind, quickly solidifying. When the barrier was in place she pulled away swaying on her feet, reaching her hand out to rest on the large tree to catch her balance.

"Kagome!" Yugi reached forward worriedly clasping her upper arm to steady her.

"I'm fine I promise." She tried to reassure them.

"You've expended yourself." Yami was scolding.

"I'm fine." She reiterated sternly scolding at Yami.

"You put the barrier in place didn't you?" Yugi questioned, a frown tugging at his lips as his hand dropped away.

"What choice do either of you have?" She asked softly as she looked between the two. "Without the barrier the two of you will continue to blend until neither of you exist." They didn't argue though they certainly didn't look happy about it. "Oh and before I forget." She put her left hand up her right sleeve removing a stack of cards. "Your deck it seems was spared last night from being waterlogged."

Yugi took his deck blinking, amazed by the fact that it was still intact, and beyond relieved that it had survived. "Thank you, truly. And not just for saving me or my deck. But for everything."

"Indeed thank you." Yami nodded in agreement. "You will call us and let us know how we can help, or if you are feeling stained."

"Yes, yes I promise." She sighed smiling lightly, waving her hand dismissively. Yugi grabbed her hand, at least she thought it was Yugi, though his eyes were harsher and his features sharper, he bent his head till they were eye level with each other, and nearly nose to nose. Then she noticed how their souls melded together- they were acting as one fully agreeing on a single thought until it wasn't Yugi or Yami taking action it was both.

"Allow for me to reiterate. You _will_ call us if you're feeling weak or weary." Their voice was deep and commanding and everything about them was fierce, and reminded her of Yami sanding in front of Yugi ready to protect him if necessary the night before. However the utter openness of their face, the raw emotion displayed there, was more akin to Yugi.

She fought to swallow her nerves as she licked her suddenly dry lips. "And this is why the barrier is a necessity." She watched in interest as they split blinking confusedly as though surprised by their sudden merge.

Yugi dropped her hand as soon as he realized he still held it. "Kagome I- I'm sorry, I don't-"

She shook her head at Yugi smiling lightly. "I promise you both that I will call if I am feeling the least bit strained, today excluded of course. Does that suffice?" All either of them could seem to do was nod. "Very well, in exchange you will keep me informed of how often the two of you merge, and how you yourselves are fairing."

"We will." Yami it seemed had gotten over the shock of their sudden merging.

"Now go your friends are waiting." She said as she gently pushed them away, waving and shouting goodbyes until the last of the group had descended down the steps disappearing from view completely, it was only then that Kagome slumped down to the base of the God tree her legs feeling like little more than wet noodles. "What is life if we don't open a few cans of worms every now and again?" She laughed lightly in response to the shrines own answering silence.


	6. Chapter Five: Born to Lose

**Chapter 5: Born to Lose**

He watched her fingers as they skimmed across they keyboard, clicking and clacking in the same humdrum melody they had played for the last week. Kagome Higurashi had taken the place of his current secretary while she was on… _medical_ leave he supposed was the kindest way to put it. And the dark haired beauty was good at her job as much as he hated to admit it, she came in early, left late, always had a cup of coffee ready for him at all times of the day- and occasionally night, she didn't flutter her lashes or stumble with her words. She didn't tsk or groan when Mokuba would decide to do his homework sitting at one of the couches designated as a waiting area for Kaiba's guests, quite the contrary often she would sit by him and help him through his homework, unless it was math she, it seemed, detested math. She was efficient and quick. _Practically_ perfect.

Indeed there was only one single complaint Seto Kaiba had about his temporary secretary.

She was too damn _nice_.

Oh he could certainly see her temper flare up like raging storm clouds in her blue eyes, but always it would be tempered by a well placed smile quite like a silver lining, before she would then comply with whatever order he had issued, regardless of how he worded it. But the ruthless world of business didn't have room for pushovers and niceties. No what he required in a secretary was intimidation, someone, gender be damned, who would set his rivals and even his associates on their toes. Someone with steel in their spine.

Someone who was not Higurashi.

Which was why he was sending the overly pleasant women to play the part of glorified babysitter to his younger brother on his day off.

 _It'll keep both of them occupied._

"Higurashi I have a task for you."

 _To nice? To nice? That pompous ass thinks I'm too nice for the_ harsh _world of business, I'll show him too freaking nice!_ Similar thoughts had swarmed through her head for the last two hours like an angry hive that sorely wanted to do more than buzz. _Maybe I should introduce him to the pointy end of my stick._ Momentarily entertained by the thought of attaching Kaiba to one of her old targets hidden away amongst the clutter of one of the storage sheds on the shrine, she allowed herself to calm and lips to lift as another thought popped into her head. _Damn shame Kaiba_ didn't _let me stick around; I certainly would have been a boon to have today, seeing as its Shippo that Sesshomaru is sending over in his stead._

The thought of the fox demon talking the young CEO in circles was enough to lift the shroud of anger that had clung to her since Kaiba had appointed her babysitter of his younger brother. _Though I suppose being nearly eighteen Mokuba really isn't that young._

"Sorry about my big brother Kagome." Said woman torn from her thoughts blinked up at the young man, who was so unlike his brother except were height was concerned.

She smiled lightly. "There is no reason you should be apologizing for him, Mokuba." _Kaiba is an adult and quite capable of giving his own apologies, not that I expect him to._

"Still…" He paused to open the door for her as they entered the main lobby of the Kaiba Corp building. In the distance she could see Kaiba's personal elevator descending as the lit numbers decreased, while the urge to grin increased.

"Mokuba it is quiet alright, trust me I've met and dealt with people just like him." _I'm thinking of you Sesshomaru._

"If you say so." He sighed and smiled down at his brother's pretty secretary, for all she was small she had a large kind heart, that expressed itself in her large doe like blue eyes. Her raven wing hair swayed in a thick braid, brushing her waist as she followed his large strides with quick small ones, platform black pumps clicking with each step.

"I do." Her eyes caught the lit numbers once more just as the number one was highlighted. "Besides I'm about to get some sweet revenge." She laughed at his raised brow.

Just as she knew he would, because Sesshomaru and in turn Shippo were highly important guests, Kaiba was escorting him, him being an equally as tall slender male with rusty red hair, that more than made him stand out amongst the browns and blacks, to the exit. They were talking though Kagome could see Shippo had lost interest in the conversation as soon as her scent had made it know that she was there.

Teal eyes met hers and Shippo excused himself from the CEO, practically bouncing his way over to her. No words were exchanged as he lifted her with ease into his embrace, spinning her around as she laughed. "It's good to see you to Shippo."

He huffed as he stopped spinning though he refused to put her down, it would have been a good foot drop if he had given the drastic height difference. "Good to see me? Is that really all you have to say to me? It's been over a month since I've graced you with my presence, be more exuberant will ya!" He gave her a cheeky grin to accompany the mirth she could see lighting his eyes.

With roll of her eyes and a little over acting she responded. "Oh Shippo words cannot describe what pleasure I feel basking in your presence, my heart is simply oozing with joy." She dropped the over the top cheer to a deadpan tone. "Oozing I tell you."

He rolled his eyes with a slight huff, slowly setting her down on the floor releasing her only when she was steady on her feet. "Yes well don't ooze all over the suit, if you please, Sesshomaru may very well make good on his threat."

" _Threats_ Shippo, _threats_."

"Right. Threats." As he stepped away to give her some room his grin faded completely into an unhappy frown. His teal eyes raked her form, down and back up again until their eyes locked once more. "You look awful…" And she knew he wasn't talking about her appearance but the strained way her aura fluxed about her and no doubt he could, should he feel inclined, figure out where or rather in this case who her powers were being siphoned to. "… drained."

Knowing that Mokuba was near and Kaiba was nearing she muttered an annoyed 'later'.

With a curt nod he angled his body slightly to allow Kaiba to enter the conversation, though not without first dropping a 'hint' to Kaiba letting him know just how well she knew him and in turn Sesshomaru. "Fine we'll do dinner tonight I'm sure Sesshomaru would be interested in this… development." _Hint may of course have been an understatement._

"Isn't he always?" She grumped with a dejected sigh. "Of course how can I refuse? But I can't be out all night like last time I've some things that need to be taken care of rather early tomorrow."

"But of course." She fought the urge to childishly stick her tongue out and blow a raspberry as Mokuba made his way beside her.

"You know the CEO of Taisho Industries?"

"Indeed Higurashi." She flinched internally at Kaiba's tone and the way his already narrowed eyes narrowed farther.

Shippo with a mischievous grin pulling at his lips turned towards the CEO. "Well not that this hasn't been a productive day but I really should get going before that old dog really has my head. Kagome I'll see you later tonight." Giving a half wave half salute gesture he made his was out of the building leaving Kagome to the wolves.

"Higurashi my office. Now."

With a mental groan she followed behind the elder Kaiba practically dragging her feet. _So much for my revenge, indeed I think Shippo won this one. There are times I feel that I was born to lose._

After a long day of practically being interrogated by Kaiba all Kagome wanted to do was go home and relax before going out and spending the rest of the night being interrogated by Sesshomaru and Shippo and whoever else they decided needed to be a part of the questioning. And so it was with great relief that she flopped on her couch… only to have to get back up moments later when her phone began ring. She very nearly whimpered as she stood back up, her feet screaming in protest as she trudged her way to where she had tossed her purse on the ground and began rummaging through it until she found shrieking object.

She fumbled with her cell phone for a second before finally managing to answer it. "Hello this is Higurashi Kagome speaking."

"…Kagome?"

Leaning against the wall she slid down into a seated position, brows furrowed she stared ahead confusedly for a moment before the voice registered in her mind. "Yami?"

He sighed in obvious relief. "Indeed. Yugi thought it would be wise if I attempted to better acquaint myself with some of this time period's devices."

"Makes sense." She mumbled her agreement. "Wait is something wrong? Is that why you're calling? Are you two alright?"

"Be at ease Kagome, we are well, we are merely calling to see how _you_ are fairing."

"Oh me? I'm terrible." She grumped without thought.

"I knew that barrier was a bad idea, first thing in the-"

She winced when she realized her mistake. "Whoa, whoa Yami I didn't mean it like that. Let me ask you this have you ever had to babysit an eighteen year old adult male all while walking around wearing stilettos your meddling friends picked out in hopes that you could catch the eye of a very available Kaiba Corp CEO?" There was hushed muttering from the other end of the phone as, at least she assumed, Yugi explained what stilettos were.

"I cannot say I have had the … privilege."

"Well if there ever comes a time when you have such a chance don't take it."

"Of that I can assure you. But other than that you are well?"

"Yeah I'm fine, just been a long day, and Yugi I'd like to applaud you for managing to not punch Kaiba in the face in all the years you went to school together. Seriously I'm not sure how you managed it." There was a muffled laugh that had her own lips tilting up.

"What has Kaiba done that has displeased you?"

"Let's just say I happen to have a few connections that Kaiba probably should have known about _before_ he went to his meeting, and upon finding out about my corporate connections he read me one hell of a lecture and then proceeded to question me endlessly."

"A social connection, is that all I am to you? Kagome you wound me." With a startled yelp she jumped up glaring at a hysterical Shippo and a stony Sesshomaru who brushed past her and gracefully folded himself on her couch to wait out what he knew would be several long minutes of childish antics.

"Kagome!"

"I'm fine Yami that social connection I was just talking about has graced me with his presence…" She turned to look at the clock. "…an hour earlier than we had agreed upon." As she was turning back to glare at her intruders the phone was plucked from her hand.

"Yami huh? This Kagome's boyfriend?" With an embarrassed sputter she dove for the phone but to her dismay was easily outmaneuvered by the swift fox.

"…Boyfriend? I am male as well as Kagome's friend…"

"No, no! He's not my boyfriend Shippo!" She could feel her face heat up at the thought.

"Oh ho! I knew it! So tell me what your intentions are for our little priestess." Again he side stepped as she made to grab it.

"My intentions are my own."

Shippo placed his hand over the receiver and mumbled in a low tone, "Who still talks like that Kagome? Seriously it's like listening to Sesshomaru, your boyfriend is weird." With one final pounce she managed to grab the phone from a mirthful Shippo who easily relinquished his hold in favor of breaking out into laughter.

"Yami! I'm sorry about that we'll just have to talk tomorrow, okay?"

Yami found he had no time to respond as she hung up leaving him blinking puzzled at the now silent device. "Yugi I do not understand, why did she deny being our boyfriend?" He turned to the spectral Yugi and found himself even more puzzled as Yugi began stammering in embarrassment.

"Yami you just told some stranger that you are romantically involved with Kagome!"

Dinner with Sesshomaru was never a simple affair, admittedly she hadn't been coerced into something ridiculously fancy… this time, but still the restaurant he had chosen to hold this little powwow of his was certainly not a jeans and t-shit sort. Or even a cheeseburger and french-fry sort. No of course Sesshomaru would pick a place with food like canard à la rouennaise.

 _Duck in blood sauce!_ She couldn't stop a sound of displeasure to accompany the grossed out face she was no doubt making.

Beside her Shippo was snickering. "If you think that's bad than I wouldn't suggest washing it down with a cup of kopi luwak."

She refused to give into curiosity.

"Seriously!?" Shippo was in full blown hysterics when her curiosity had finally over taken her causing her outburst. And she was fairly certain that if Sesshomaru wasn't so above showing emotions he would have at the very least pinched the bridge of his nose, if not completely slapped his palm to his face. Instead he chose to ignore them, and continued to mostly ignore them well past the meal, not dignifying either with a response until their plates had been taken away and the billed paid.

It was his way of showing her he was displeased with her course of actions.

 _Or maybe he's extremely pleased, it's so hard to tell sometimes._

However the subject he broached, when he finally did speak, wasn't the one she thought he would. "Explain to me what possessed you to purify one of the ogres few remaining sorceresses? Are you trying to instigate an uprising?" She flinched; it hadn't even occurred to her the political repercussions such a deed could cause.

"Sesshomaru I'm sor-"

"I require no apology just an explanation."

"Fine." She answered curtly allowing her annoyance and slight anger to color her voice. "The sorceress had been collecting souls for the better part of a month, she's kept them on a tight leash so _I've_ been unable to pin her location." She made sure to emphasize the fact that it was _she_ who had noticed the disturbance on _his_ territory, and _she_ who had acted. "However three weeks ago she took on more then she could handle, which gave the souls enough power collectively to reach out and call to me… and Sesshomaru not all those souls she called to her were already dead she bound a living person to his own body and abused his soul to call fourth another tied to him. I found her, that she was purified in the process was just happenstance."

He was silent for several moments as he absorbed her words. "You've proof of these transgressions I assume?"

"Only the living male she bound."

"He survived?" Shippo sounded surprised.

"They did."

Sesshomaru's brow rose but it was Shippo who spoke. "They?"

"Yes they. Yugi and Yami-"

"You mean your beau?" Shippo snickered.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Exasperation had her near screeching.

"You are saying that there are two souls coexisting within a single body." Sesshomaru interrupted before they could start their antics anew.

"They are, and it's not the first time they've done so either."

"Indeed?" His interest was definitely piqued.

"How is it they haven't, I dunno, become a singular entity?" Shippo pondered aloud for a moment before realization dawned on him. "Wait that's where your powers are being siphoned to, a barrier of some sort to keep them apart!" She nodded her agreement.

"Their story is theirs to tell, but we've spent the last month searching through the store houses on the shrine looking for away to separate them, they've… bonded you see, bound their souls together, and since their reunion it has only gotten worse."

"So you are attempting to separate them without having to destroy one or the other." Sesshomaru mummer thoughtfully to himself.

"Yes. I've also been meditating as well… trying to recall how… how I managed to tear my own soul in half. But perhaps the mixture of herbs Urasue had used scrambles my memories-"

"Or perhaps you were too preoccupied with not dying?" Shippo interjected with sarcasm, his lips tugging down as he recalled the fear that had gripped him, and the repercussions that still resonated to this day.

"As _I was saying,_ I really can't seem to remember much of anything beyond my fear anyway."

Sesshomaru gaze was distant as he thought, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, stopping only when he'd come to a decision. "I will be conferring with the ogres within a week's time, I had not planned on bring you there as they would surely take any chance to exact retribution, but my minds been made, you will accompany me to speak your story. They must know they are in the wrong."

"Is that really wise, at that point why not just have tea with Naraku while you're at it?" Shippo's teeth clenched in uncertainty, he did not agree.

"Don't but obtuse boy." He stared Shippo down until the fox relented with a tilt of his head. "It would be for the best, openly collecting souls, especially souls of those still living cannot be tolerated, the violence our race would suffer should we be discovered would be catastrophic for both sides. It is a war we cannot afford to engage in. And they are ogres, they know the intricacies of the soul, they'll know her truth from her lies. "

"Besides if I can't find anything on the shrine maybe I can get one of the ogres to talk to me, see if they know how to separate two souls." Kagome piped up siding with Sesshomaru.

"Yeah right they're more likely to dance the cupid shuffle then give you anything useful, the tight lipped bas-"

"Shippo watch your language!"

"Unfortunately I've not been subtitled so I've no way of watching such a thing." Shippo stated blandly as his lips twitched and his eyes danced.

"You're hopeless!" Kagome laughed throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"But you love me anyway!" Was his rebuttal as they stood to leave, he tugged her gently to him throwing his arm over her shoulder in a half embrace.

Her eyes crinkled with her mirth as they left their other companion behind to follow at his own pace. "So you keep telling me."

There were times, Sesshomaru decided watching the duo walk away, that he wished it was within his nature to express himself more openly, he sorely wanted to rub his temples in irritation at the entire situation, and his frustration with his… associates in general.

 _One is a trouble magnet the other is just trouble._

Unwilling to break his carefully crafted façade he instead settled for glaring at anyone who met his gaze reveling in their fear and panic as an old instinct of self preservation told them there was a predator in the vicinity.

It was the little things that made life worth while he decided in satisfaction.


End file.
